Takase, Aki - Carmen Rhapsody CD
SKU
21-BMCCD 318
Aki Takase – piano, harpsichord
Mayumi Nakamura – mezzo-soprano
Vincent Courtois – cello
Daniel Erdmann – tenor and soprano saxophones
“Carmen, one of the most popular operas ever, focuses on a strong and proud woman ruled by her own law. On her new album, iconic jazz pianist Aki Takase takes up this convention-breaker figure, labeling her interpretation of Carmen as a rhapsody. As a seemingly loose sequence of lightly floating, dance-like musical thoughts, which are based on the themes of Carmen by Bizet, not bound to any form and thus verging on anarchy.
Renowned for her unmistakably unique playing and complex and sophisticated approach, Aki Takase has already released two internationally successful albums on BMC Records: in 2019, his Japanic group released Thema Prima, which won the jazz world’s most prestigious awards in a row, and in 2021, she recorded an award-winning duo album with Daniel Erdmann. Alongside his old saxophonist comrade, Takase has chosen another BMC Records-related artist of note, French cellist Vincent Courtois, to realize the Carmen project. The instrumental star trio is joined by Takase’s compatriot, opera singer Mayumi Nakamura.”